The Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica

Faith in Action News

March, 2008

Interweave Seeks Help for Common Ground

Interweave, our affiliate group for bisexuals, gays, lesbians, and transgenders, and their friends and allies, will be collecting jeans and sweatshirts for homeless youth who seek services at Common Ground, the Westside HIV Community Center. Common Ground, located at 2012 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica, provides homeless youth basic resources (clothing, hygiene products, an address to receive mail); medical, mental, and dental health services; HIV prevention; legal advocacy; and job/educational support.

Please bring new or gently used, clean items to the Interweave table in Forbes Hall after services in March. In subsequent months, we’ll be collecting other clothing and art items for the youth—we’ll keep you posted on what they need.

For more information about Common Ground and their needs, visit www.commongroundwestside.org, e-mail info@commongroundwestside.org, or call (310) 314-5480. Also contact our liaison with Common Ground, Judy Federick if you would like to help out or if you have questions.

Thanks for the Undies

Once again you have been generous with those in need. Thanks to you, we have distributed underwear for:

• Men: 1 pair sandals, 46 briefs, 6 boxers, 12 socks, and 9 undershirts
• Women: 2 camisoles, 35 briefs, 27 socks
• Children: 10 boys briefs, 18 girls briefs

The children’s undies were distributed to OPCC for Sojourn. The men’s and women’s undies were divided between Common Ground and Step Up on Second.

January, 2008

Faith In Action and the Peace & Civil Liberties Committee Event - Father Roy Bourgeois

Faith In Action and The Peace & Civil Liberties Committee present Father Roy Bourgeois, founder of the School of the Americas Watch. On Tuesday, January 8, come to see “The Struggle to Close the School of the Americas.” Gather at 7 p.m. for the program, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Special guests are Theresa and Blase Bonpane, and Frank Dorrel, with music by Jose-Luis Orozco. There is a suggested donation of $10 at the door. For more information, call (310) 838- 8131 or visit School of the Americas Watch at http://www.soaw.org

SOAWatch is an independent organization that seeks to close the U.S. Army School of the Americas, under whatever name it is called, through vigils and fasts, demonstrations and nonviolent protest, as well as media, and legislative work. On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests, their co-worker, and her teenage daughter were massacred in El Salvador. A U.S. Congressional Task Force reported that those responsible were trained at the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) at Ft. Benning, Georgia. In 1990 SOAWatch began in a tiny apartment outside the main gate of Ft. Benning. While starting with a small group, SOAWatch quickly drew upon the knowledge and experience of many in the U.S. who had worked with the people of Latin America in the 1970s and ’80s.

Today, the SOAWatch movement is a large, diverse, grassroots movement rooted in solidarity with the people of Latin America. The goal of SOA Watch is to close the SOA and to change U.S. foreign policy in Latin America by educating the public, lobbying Congress, and participating in creative, nonviolent resistance. The Pentagon has responded to the growing movement and to Congress’ near closure of the SOA with a PR campaign to give the SOA a new image. In an attempt to disassociate the school with its horrific past, the SOA was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in January of 2001.

Attend this event on January 8 to learn more about the work of SOAWatch. Park for free in the UCLA garage on 16th Street.

November, 2007

Temple Isaiah sponsored a two-day Interfaith Call to Justice Conference in November 2007. UUCCSM was one of the many sponsors. For more detailed information on what took place at the conference please see the Interfaith Call to Justice website at http://www.call-to-justice.org

October, 2007

Ann Fagan Ginger, Executive Director of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute and author discussed “New Paths for Action” in a panel discussion on October 19 in the church sanctuary with Professor Antonio Brown.    Professor Brown currently serves as Vice President of the ACLU Southern California Board.

September, 2007

Faith in Action Issues Election Meeting Minutes - September 23, 2007

The current UUA 2007 Actions of Immediate Witness approved at General Assembly in June 2007 were handed out for discussion:

• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection.

Committee Reports:

Green Sanctuary: Leslie Reuter presented the Action Plan that lists the 12 actions our congregation must take to become a certified Green Sanctuary church. The plan includes actions on Environmental Justice, Sustainable Living, Worship celebrations and Religious Education. The Action Plan was unanimously approved. Leslie also demonstrated an LED lamp that the Green Sanctuary Group would like to sell at church.

Hunger Task Force: Members of the congregation present at the Issues Election affirmed continuing our volunteer relationship with Step Up On Second coordinated by Janet Goodwin and Daybreak Shelter coordinated by Denise Helton. FIA chair presented the challenges of securing funding for these activities on a monthly basis. A request has been made to the Long Range Planning Committee to allocate funds to support this work in the future. We need a new volunteer coordinator for Turning Point Transitional Housing. The chair would like to thank the many congregation members who have donated so generously in the past.

The suggestion was made to add the film “Sicko” to our list of programs. This request will be directed to the Peace & Civil Liberties Committee.

The Multi-Racial Development Group presented their plans to focus on immigration as they relate to labor struggles:

- Plans to address car wash owners’ failure to provide a living wage to their workers
- The new Sanctuary Movement along with CLUE, Clergy & Laity United for Economic justice
- Bond-out families in detention as part of the UUA’s Action of Immediate Witness, Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids

MRDC will provide a liaison, Nora Hamilton, to the FIAC meetings and the FIAC chair will participate in the MRDC meetings to foster a close working relationship.

UU Legislative Ministry items:

- Carol Agate, Kris Langabeer, and Jacki Paddock all agreed to participate and report on the UULM’s Marriage Equality work group
- Joan Verdon and Cathie Gentile will participate and report on the Health Care Reform work group.

25,000 Petition for Peace

Phyllis Gabriel and Joan Verdon circulated the Rev. William Sinkford’s petition that calls for an end to the Iraq war. Rev. Sinkford will take the petitions to Capitol Hill on October 10.

Minutes taken by Judy Federick and transcribed by Cathie Gentile

UUA 2007 Actions of Immediate Witness approved at General Assembly in June 2007

• Social Support for the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Support Immigrant Families – Stop the Immigration & Customs Enforcements (ICE) Raids
• Support Comprehensive Sexuality Education Legislations
• Stop US Sponsored Torture – A Religious Call to Action
• Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Transgender Inclusion and Protection

Actions of Immediate Witness are adopted to address pressing policy concerns in a timely manner. Individual Unitarian Universalists, congregations, districts, and departments of the UUA and UU affiliate organizations are urged to act on it also.

August, 2007

Please Join Us for an Important Gathering
Co-Sponsored by UUCCSM

Concerned members of religious communities will join together this coming November for what promises to be an interactive learning experience about public policy and advocacy. The Interfaith Call to Justice: LA 2007, scheduled for November 11-12, 2007, brings together people of faith with a burning desire to create justice in their local community. Hosting this gathering will be Temple Isaiah in West Los Angeles. The two-day social justice training and community strategy planning conference will educate and train religious leaders and their congregations about how to effect systemic change through legislative and public policy advocacy.

More than 60 faith-based organizations are co-sponsoring this event including the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the Office of Justice and Peace of the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Presbyterian Synod of Southern California and Hawaii, the Southwest California Synod Board for Public Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Islamic Center of Southern California.

• Keynote speakers include:
• Father Greg Boyle, Founder/Executive Director of Jobs For A Future/Homeboy Industries
• Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, retired pastor of F.A.M.E. and current Chair of Christian Ethics at the University of Southern California
• Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
• Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO

All four individuals are examples of how organized efforts make an enormous difference. One of the topics they will address is: Moving from Charity to Justice.

During breakout sessions, participants will be introduced to the “nuts and bolts” of advocacy training, community organizing, and issue-based campaigns, such as immigration, economic justice, the environment, youth at risk, affordable health care, homelessness and affordable housing.

The conference is the brainchild of Rabbi Suzanne Singer, who has spent a year and a half planning the event. Rabbi Singer is no stranger to the social justice cause. In November 2005, she organized a similar conference within the Jewish community in Oakland, CA called the Consultation on Social Justice (COJS), winner of the Irving J. Fain Award for Social Action from the Religious Action Center.

“The conference in the Bay Area demonstrated the appetite people have for social change,” said Rabbi Singer. “The Bay Area conference also underlined the need for joining together in interfaith coalition. Clearly there is a great deal of enthusiasm for working together in this city, as over 60 congregations, denominations and faith organizations, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, have signed up as sponsors. The LA conference is just the first step towards joint efforts in Los Angeles.”

Major Financial Support Provided by the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles.

Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation is the largest manager of charitable assets and the leader in planned giving solutions for Jewish philanthropists in Greater Los Angeles. The Foundation currently manages assets of nearly $750 million dollars and, according to the National Foundation Center, ranks among the ten largest Los Angeles foundations (based on assets). In 2006, The Foundation and its 1,200-plus donors distributed $63 million in grants to more than 1,500 organizations with programs that span the range of philanthropic giving.

Additional funding provided by (partial list): the local archdiocese, diocese or synod of the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Catholic Churches; Brentwood Presbyterian Church; St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Westwood; St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Studio City; the Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health; the discretionary funds of rabbis from several Reform congregations.

Conference Location: Temple Isaiah, 10345 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. See http://www.call-to-justice.org

June, 2007

As the church year draws to a close I would like to thank the members of the Faith In Action Commission (FIAC) for all their work to make this a better, more socially-aware and environmentally-friendly congregation. The members of FIAC are: Lyn Armondo, Liza Cranis, Eleanor Eagan, Judy Federick, Jesse Figueroa, Phyllis Gabriel, Janet Goodwin, Charles and Christine Haskell, Denise Helton, Patrick McGuire, Leslie Reuter, Heather Smith, Diana and Marguerite Spears, Sandra Trutt, Alyssa Wood, Marge Zifferblatt, and of course, the Rev. Judith Meyer. Geralyn Lambson deserves a mention and is “adopted” into FIA by her monthly clothing collections. Everyone has contributed in some way to the original mission of the FIAC: “…to coordinate social action efforts in the church, empowering the congregation to choose social justice issues for study and action. . . .”

Our social justice issues have included providing food and clothing for the homeless or the formerly homeless, the mentally ill, or the “just getting by”; bringing wonderful and stimulating guest speakers and films to the congregation; raising awareness of the health care crisis and of the situation in Darfur; creating a Green Sanctuary and incorporating many green ideas into the new building program and our daily lives; providing books to the annual Head Start party; fundraising for Common Ground to serve homeless youth; fundraising for the UUSC; selling great fair-trade chocolate and coffee; and so 2 JUNE much more. All of this would not have happened without the generosity in time and money of many members of this congregation.

I don’t wish to sound ungrateful, but — we could do a lot more. Every fall, the FIAC holds an issues election to vote on the activities for the new church year. We on the Commission take these votes very seriously to fulfill our mission. We simply cannot continue to promise the same level of social action without more volunteers and a consistent funding base of support. It is wonderful to be appreciated and thanked for what we do, but joining us or making a donation to one of our activities would be even better.

The FIA table is set up in Forbes Hall almost every Sunday after both services. Drop by the table some time and ask the FIAC member what you can do depending on your interest, ability, time, and/or financial situation. You will gain points, karma, blessings, whatever reward you may wish to achieve. Don’t let us have all the fun.

The FIAC also wishes to gratefully acknowledge the many friends who have stepped forward this past year to lend assistance and support. Last, but not least, many thanks to: Melinda Ewen, Holly Nguyen, Carmen Haley, Kevin Roller, and Attila Molnar.

— Cathie Gentile Chair, FIAC

Glen Howell Entertained and Taught Us All

The Peace & Civil Liberties Committee had church member Glen Howell speak on May 11 about his 50 years in the Space Program. The evening was vastly informative and really demonstrated the principle of interconnectedness. To answer a question from Rob Briner about JPL, Glen had googled and even found a UU connection. Amos Throop, a retired Chicago businessman, came to Pasadena in the 1880s where he established Throop Polytechnic which later became California Institute of Technology (Caltech) with its offshoot JPL. In addition, he founded the first Universalist Parish of Pasadena (now Throop Memorial UU Church) in 1885, with minister Florence Kollock, who helped organize the Parliament of World Religions at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

Glen explained that much of V-2 rocket theory was initially developed here in the U.S. by Robert Goddard. Goddard was awarded the first patent on a liquid rocket engine in 1914. In the 1920’s Goddard’s research got a boost when Charles Lindbergh brought it to the attention of Harry Guggenheim. Sadly, it was Nazi Germany in WWII that developed Goddard’s work with the V-2 rocket, and used it against England. With the end of WWII the U.S. and Russia each took German scientists who had worked on the V-2 program. In October 1957 Russia used the information the scientists developed to launch Sputnik (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year). In the U.S. we developed our own space programs with help from Wernher von Braun — culminating in the Apollo series that took us to the moon.

We thank Glen and hope to have him back to continue this fascinating story.

— Diana Spears

February, 2007

Town Hall Meeting - February 11, 2007

The Meeting was called to order @12:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The first order of business was a resolution to sign the Covenant with the California Interfaith Power & Light Organization as follows: "Shall the Rev. Judith Meyer, as the spiritual leader of this congregation, pledge to support the goal of California Interfaith Power and Light?"

Leslie Reuter, co-chair of the Green Sanctuary Committee outlined the Congregational Covenant. The members of the Congregation in attendance voted unanimously to authorize the Rev. Judith Meyer as our spiritual leader to sign the Congregational Covenant with CIPL.

Next, we discussed becoming a Certified Green Sanctuary with the UUA Ministry for Earth. The resolution stated: "Shall the UUCCSM Congregation take the necessary steps to become a Green Sanctuary?" There was agreement to take the necessary steps to become a Green Sanctuary. The Rev. Judith Meyer has authorized the Application for Candidacy and the $100 application fee to the UUMFE on submission.

Leslie Reuter and Alison Kendall, member of the Building Committee, outlined what steps have already been taken and what steps the Building Committee is willing to take to establish the UUCCSM as a Green Sanctuary.

Leslie talked about some activities planned by the Green Group, starting a 3-2-1 Pledge Campaign to get members to pledge to save energy. Rev. Ernie Pipes will begin a discussion course on Global Warming, sponsored by NWEI which will be offered in March.

Our last item was to relate information about the Health Care for All bill sponsored by Senator Keuhl. We will distribute literature on this and work towards passage of this needed legislation.

Respectfully submitted,

Catherine Gentile

November, 2006

Shakeel Syed Will Speak on Islam in America and Mid-East

The Faith in Action Peace and Civil Liberties Committee Speaker Series will present Shakeel Syed, Executive Director of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, to speak to the norms, values and conflicts of Islam in America and the Middle East on Friday, December 1, at 7:00 p.m., in the church sanctuary. A Q&A period and reception will follow.

He will provide insights into the Shiite denominational view and respond to questions such as the following:

• How has 9/11 affected American Muslims?
• How are American Muslims reacting to the radical activities of Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and the insurgents in Iraq?
• What do American Muslims hear from their relatives and friends in the Middle Eastern countries about the United States and its people?
• Is there any rationale for Muslims worldwide to react so violently to the recent comments made by Pope Benedict?
• Who speaks for Islam? Are there any influential religious leaders, political leaders, or educational leaders who are speaking out for peaceful solutions to current conflicts? Syed has appeared on local, national and international media programs such as ABC, FOX, PBS and BBC. He is a regular speaker at many educational institutions, mosques, churches, and synagogues as well as at local, national and international conferences. Don’t miss this important FIA Speaker event.

Faith in Action Issues Election

At the sixth Annual Faith in Action (FIA) Issues Election, members of the congregation voted to affirm the existing programs: Hunger Task Force, Westside Shelter and Homeless Coalition, Peace Committee, UU Service Committee, UU United Nations Office, Women’s Alliance, RE/Youth Programs and Interweave.

Two new groups have been included in FIA. The first is the Green Living Group headed by Sandra Trutt and Leslie Reuter. Their initial project for the congregation is the “3-2-1 Bright Idea” project to install three compact fluorescent light bulbs in homes and be mindful of “running” electricity in home and church — turning off lights when not needed, adjusting thermostats two degrees lower in winter and higher in summer, and driving one mile below the posted speed limit (maintaining the ideal MPG when possible). To assist members, they will sell three-packs of 60-watt and 100-watt compact fluorescent light bulbs.

The second group is endorsing legal access to the underserved. Richard Mathias will be working with Dan Fiske of the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals (CCLP). In 1976 CCLP began in northern California as an organization of volunteers who became involved in confronting the unjust hiring and working practices among health care workers. They were established in L.A. during the aftermath of the Rodney King riots in 1992, when CCLP volunteers helped with legal action to confront unjust curfew violation arrests and other illegal incarcerations.

As the chair of Faith in Action, I would like to encourage the congregation to support the efforts of the UU Legislative Ministry (UULM). I was privileged to attend a Legislative Summit in Sacramento where representatives of UU churches from our state met to discuss ways to engage our congregations in UULM priority issues — Clean Water, Justice, Global Warming, Health Care, Marriage Equality, and Clean Money (Proposition 89). With the establishment of the Green Living Group, this church is in the forefront of tackling all of these issues. Please go to Please go to http://www.uulmca.org for more information on how you can become involved and engaged in the UULM.

— Cathie Gentile, FIA Chair

September, 2006

FIA Issues Election will be on September 24

As the new Faith in Action (FIA) chair, I would like to thank Charles and Christine Haskell for their dedicated work during Charles’ three-year tenure as chair. I would also like to thank Judith and the members of the commission for their support. I realize that I have very big shoes to fill.

FIA is holding the annual Issues Election on Sunday, September 24, at 12:30, in the Sanctuary. I strongly urge as many of you to attend as are able. As a congregation, a community, and citizens of California, we have very important choices coming up in this November’s election. Do we want to see affordable health care for all Californians, not just those able to pay? Do we want “clean money” financing future elections? How as a congregation are we going to act on Actions of Immediate Witness from this past June’s General Assembly?

Please give some thought to these questions and bring up your own topics. Each suggested topic will receive a vote. The top three vote carriers will determine what actions FIA will take for this coming church year. Remember that a church member or friend has to be willing to take the lead and organize a group to follow through on the issue. The procedures will be explained at the meeting.

Lunch will be sold after the service.

Please contact me if you would like to suggest any topics for the Issues Election.

— Cathie Gentile

Support for Daybreak Wanted

Long-time Social Action Committee member Dagmar Schnauss, has been coordinating delivery of food items to Daybreak Day Center and Shelter, which works exclusively with mentally ill homeless women in Santa Monica. Dagmar and a group of committed volunteers have been providing casseroles once a month for approximately the last 10 years. Dagmar is no longer able to continue this effort. If you would like to take up this worthy cause please contact Cathie Gentile. Any current or former members of the Social Action Committee are cordially invited to attend the Faith in Action Commission meetings. The next meeting is Sunday, September 10, 12:30 to 2 p.m., in Room 4.

— Cathie Gentile

June, 2006

Faith in Action Commission Welcomes a New Leader

Faith in Action was created in 2000 as a new way of engaging our entire congregation in witness and advocacy issues such as peace, civil liberties, social justice and homelessness. We developed a set of procedures and policies that were endorsed by the congregation and the board. One of those policies called for two-year terms for the chair of the Faith in Action Commission.

It has been my privilege and pleasure to have served two terms as chair. Now, it is time for new leadership. It gives me great pleasure to announce that the new chair is Cathie Gentile.

Cathie was a founding member of Faith in Action and has played a variety of leadership roles in our witness and advocacy program. She helped us choose and manage hunger as the primary issue of congregational concern. She has been instrumental in establishing our relationships with the Westside Food Bank, Turning Point and Step Up on Second. She played an important role in our involvement in economic justice, working with our Faith in Action interns involved in helping hotel workers in Los Angeles obtain a better contract. More recently, she has been our liaison with the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry in California.

Cathie’s new position as chair was endorsed by the Faith in Action Commission and the Board of Directors at their May meetings. We are fortunate having such a dedicated and qualified leader.

— Charles Haskell

Unequal Marriage Rights Amendment is Headed to the Senate on June 5

The personal milestones that we celebrate within our families and as a society — graduations, marriage, the birth of a child — resonate deeply for all of us. When these milestones are marked, we are often warmly inundated with validations and blessings for the growth we have accomplished and the growth that is expected to follow. And most of us take these milestones for granted.

Unfortunately for some of us, however, the milestone of marriage and the more than 1,000 legal rights of a civil marriage are denied us. Frankly, the fact that my society does not allow me, as a lesbian, to marry the woman I have been committed to for 20 years now, tells me that I am not considered fully human. How else can I be denied participation in one of the most basic and life-changing of human rituals?

Yes, hearts and minds are changing on this issue, but we have many battles ahead.

Around June 5, the U.S. Senate will again vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment (S.J. Res. 1), which would amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage nationwide and, most likely, invalidate existing state domestic partner and civil union laws.

Many argue that such an amendment is needed to protect the “sanctity,” or holiness or sacredness of marriage. We need to send a message to the Senate that same-sex relationships are holy and sacred and that our families need the protections that only civil marriage can confer.

To take simple and quick action against S.J. Res. 1, visit these Web sites: Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org), People for the American Way (pfaw.org), or American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org). Also, please contact family and friends in other states to urge their action on this issue.

How can love not be holy? As UUs, we stand on the side of love (see uua.org).

— Kris Langabeer

March, 2006

The FIA Bulletin is Available Online

In March 2003 the first issue of the Faith in Action Bulletin was published. It summarized the history of Faith in Action in our church and featured essays on the Bush Doctrine, Civil Liberties, our Welcoming Congregation process, and the Hunger Task Force. That issue was mailed to all church members, but subsequent issues have been published electronically. The ninth issue of this publication is now available at http://www.uusm.org/faithinaction/fiawinter06.pdf. It can also be found at the Faith in Action table in Forbes Hall.

The current issue features an essay by our minister emeritus, the Rev. Ernie Pipes, entitled “When deception prevails.” Additional essays include “Does torture work?” by Max Epstein, “What if the U.S. considered Osama Bin Laden’s truce bid?” by Arvid Knudsen, and “Why I’m proud of my VA service,” by Charles Haskell. The issue closes with the text of the UUA Study/Action Issue for 2005-07 entitled “Moral values for a pluralistic society.”

I want to thank Liz Fuller for her crucial role in developing the electronic documents and website information for our Faith in Action program. Liz is a superb editor. She has been enormously helpful in refining every issue of the Faith in Action Bulletin over the last three years. She has also been responsible for the electronic publication of the bulletin. Furthermore, as our church’s webmaster, Liz has recently completed a comprehensive revision of Faith in Action information on our church’s website. She has done a wonderful job of making Faith in Action information more widely available. I am grateful for her dedication and skill in helping our Faith in Action program.

— Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

We Packed Six Tons of Food in Two Hours

Here are some of the church members and friends who sorted 12,200 pounds of food in cans, jars and packages and packed it in boxes during our church’s semi-annual two-hour Food Sort at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica on January 24. Bruce Rankin, Food Bank director (back row, third from left), said, “I want you to know how much we value that kind of help from volunteers.Your work completed a job that would have taken one of our employees more than one solid week of drudge work to accomplish, assuming we even had someone available. Thanks again to everyone who participated — a great deed and great fun, too.”

February, 2006

Town Hall Meeting Will Discuss Pending and Future Resolutions

All church members and friends are invited to the sanctuary at 12:30 on Sunday, February 12, for our annual winter Town Hall meeting on UUA Statements of Conscience, Study/Action Issues and Issues of Immediate Witness.

AGENDA

1. Discuss and conduct a non-binding vote about commemorating the three year anniversary of War in Iraq on Sunday, March 19.

2. Discuss the proposed 2006 UUA Statement of Conscience entitled “Global Warming.”

3. Discuss and vote on whether to participate in the current Study/Action Issue entitled “Moral Values for a Pluralistic Society.”

4. Prioritize new Study/Action Issues for a vote by our delegates at General Assembly in June.

5. Decide whether or not we want to undertake one of the current Issues of Immediate Witness.

Complete information on these issues may be found on the web site of the UUA Commission on Social Witness

— Charles Haskell Chair, FIA Commission

December, 2005

Visit the Faith in Action Corner Now Set Up in Forbes Hall

The table on the southeast corner of Forbes Hall has been the physical home base for social justice work in our church for many years. Over the years, the table and its bulletin board fell on hard times. The table was frequently littered with fliers, pamphlets, program announcements and trash that had nothing to do with Faith in Action. The table was hard to move and it diminished floor space in Forbes Hall when the area was used for functions unrelated to social action.

Consequently, the Faith in Action Commission, with concurrence from the Board of Directors, removed the table and bulletin board from Forbes Hall on November 12. The bulletin board has been replaced with a small, portable bulletin board, and a portable table will be used and stored away after use each Sunday.

The new look for the Faith in Action corner of Forbes Hall is shown in the photograph. We look forward to letting you know about our social justice work, to give you opportunities for expressing your opinions about social justice matters by signing petitions, and to attract volunteers to provide food for our monthly dinners at Step Up on Second and thrice yearly dinners at Turning Point.

We invite you to stop by the table, meet our Faith in Action volunteers, and find out more about our work. Most of the time Lyn Armondo, Cathie Gentile or Marge Zifferblatt will be at the table, but other volunteers will serve as well. We hope you like these changes and that you’ll give us feedback about how we can further improve how we function.

— Charles Haskell, Chair, Faith in Action Commission

November, 2005

Health Care Insurance Wins the Vote

Durig the fifth annual Faith in Action issues election held September 25, we reviewed the current spectrum of FIA programs and reaffirmed our commitment to fighting hunger in our community and the promotion of peace and civil liberties. Because of the success of our economic justice initiative in supporting hotel workers over the last year, this program was disestablished to make room for one or more new initiatives.

Three new initiatives were nominated: healthcare insurance reform, nominated by the FIA Commission; election- and election-finance reform, nominated by Janet Grillo; and working to improve race relations, nominated by Deborah Hermann.

These three worthy issues were discussed. Of particular note was the fact that healthcare insurance reform is currently one of the highest priorities of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry in California, so we would be working at the cusp of religion and legislative action by choosing this topic for emphasis. After casting our votes, healthcare insurance reform emerged as the clear preference of those in attendance.

Cathie Gentile, Phyllis Gabriel, and Marge Zifferblatt will be taking the lead in promoting healthcare insurance reform. Congregants interested in working on this issue may contact any one of the three leaders of this program or go directly to the UULM website, uulmca.org.

— Charles Haskell, Chair, FIA Commission

UUs March for Peace

Marching for peace on September 24 were 19 UUCCSM adults (members and friends) and two church youths (Conner Nannini and Baxter Hamilton) who participated in some or all of the 1.5 mile Los Angeles Peace March.Here, from left, are Melanie Sharp, S. J.Guidotti, Kathy Roth, Sue Bickford, Peggy Kharraz,Yacoub Kharraz, Rob Briner (behind the banner holding a red, white and blue sign), Melinda Ewen, Christine Haskell, Keith Greenhouse, and Ren Renshaw.

— Charles Haskell, Photo

May, 2005

The Faith in Action Bulletin is Now Available Online

The Spring 2005 issue of the FIA Bulletin is now available online. Printed copies may be found on the FIA table in Forbes Hall. This issue includes a poem, personal opinion essays, and commentary from church members, national organizations, and friends of our church. Most of the issue is devoted to two topics — peace and health care.

Peace. Myra Wald starts us off with a poem about the horrors of war. Next, Tom Hamilton provides an analysis of the genocide in Darfur. He feels that the genocide will probably continue until one side or the other prevails militarily and that the UN is basically powerless to alter the outcome. An alternate perspective comes from Senate bill 495, which is under current review. The essence of this bill, which is published as a “Sense of the Congress,” calls for UN sanctions and possible military action. Tom’s article is followed by a proposed new Study/Action issue from the UUA entitled Peacemaking (S3). This proposal calls for us to carefully consider just what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist when it comes to issues of peace and war.

Health Care. Phyllis Gabriel reports on efforts to reform health care access in California. Cathie Gentile reports on the activities of the UU Legislative Ministry- California, including the support of same-sex marriage, health care access reform, and water rights. Liz Fuller provides an essay on her experiences with health insurance coverage as a new mother.

The next issue of the FIA Bulletin is planned for publication during the summer. Wouldn’t you like to contribute an essay, photograph, or poem of your own for possible publication? Questions, comments, suggestions, and creative work for publication are welcome. The deadline for the next issue is August 1. Submissions may be placed in the FIA box in the church office or sent to m

— Charles Haskell
Editor, FIA Bulletin Chair, Faith in Action Commission

April, 2005

Personal Stories from the Marriage Equality Express

Interweave, our church’s group for bisexuals, gays, lesbians, and transgenders (including their friends and allies) presented a wonderful program on marriage equality in our sanctuary on Sunday afternoon, March 13. It featured two participants (see photo) from a cross-country bus tour last October that brought the stories of same-sex couples and their struggle for civil rights to 10 American cities.

Among the riders on this marriage equality express were two UU ministers, many same-sex couples whose marriages were voided, parents supporting their children having the right to marry, a woman who lost her home to taxes after her partner died, and a member of the armed forces who was willing to forfeit her pension by coming out.

I am proud that our welcoming congregation presents Terri Fabris and Roberta Conroy spoke on March 13 of their participation in October’s Marriage Equality Express. The program was sponsored by Interweave. Details are in the FIA column. programs of such high caliber and importance. Church members and friends interested in working to support same-sex marriage are encouraged to contact Judy Federick, the leader of our Interweave group. In addition, the UU Legislative Ministry California website provides a wealth of information for possible action in support of this important religious issue, especially through the promotion of AB19, California’s Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.

The continuing importance of this issue is reflected in the headline news on March 15. A Superior Court judge has ruled that laws prohibiting same sex marriage are unconstitutional in the state of California. This decision is still subject to review by the California Supreme Court and it will undoubtedly stimulate efforts at the national level to promote a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It is up to each of us to study and act on this religious issue.

—Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

March, 2005

Peace Prevails at Our Town Hall Meeting

In addition to our annual issues election each September, Faith in Action (FIA) sponsors a town hall meeting each winter to review witness and advocacy materials provided on the web site of the Commission on Social Witness of the Unitarian Universalist Association ). We also consider possible mid-church-year corrections of our own social action priorities. This year's town hall meeting was held February 13, with 25 people attending.

We briefly reviewed the draft of the upcoming UUA Statement of Conscience on Criminal Justice and Penal Reform. Next we discussed the 2004–2006 Study/Action Issue entitled Global Warming. We then reviewed five Actions of Immediate Witness that are available from the UUA:

1. The Alien Tort Claims Act and Accountability for Multinational Corporations

2. Electronic Voting

3. Iraq: Sovereignty, the UN, and Human Rights

4. Oppose Federal Marriage Amendment

5. Renew the Assault Weapons Ban

The meeting concluded with a straw vote to prioritize a list of “Big Issues” for FIA in the coming months. The number one issue related to peace and war in Iraq, with 64% of participants choosing this as one of their two most important concerns. This choice builds on our church's Statement of Conscience of November 2002, as well as two of the current Actions of Immediate Witness (AIW#1 and AIW#3), and plans being developed by the UU Service Committee to highlight our country's use of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Based on this vote, the Peace Committee will resume meeting in March to develop a new peace agenda for our church.

Health care access reform was a close second to war in Iraq in this straw vote, with 56% of participants naming this as one of their top two issues. We plan to use study and action materials on this topic from the UU Legislative Ministry California. Cathie Gentile will serve as our liaison to the UULM-California and will be our local leader on this issue. An upcoming issue of the FIA Bulletin will feature essays on health care reform written by members of our congregation.

— Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

January, 2005

Biggest Food Sort Ever Held on December 2

About 40 UUCCSM volunteers and friends (including many young people) sorting cans and packages of food on December 2 at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica, and breaking the all-time record. “This year you sorted a record 14,660 pounds of food in one evening,” Bruce Rankin, Food Bank director, told them. “Thanks again for the fabulous job you did, sorting the food that came in during the start of our Holiday Food Drives. Over the past year our 65 member agencies have seen a growing need for food assistance among the working poor families and individuals they serve. We greatly appreciate your efforts to help ensure that those in need receive the food that is so vital to their existence.” The Food Bank distributed nearly four million pounds of food last year. Over 100,000 people on the Westside, including 50,000 children, live in poverty, according to the Food Bank. Our church’s Faith in Action Committee sponsors Food Sorts in December and June.

December, 2004

This month, instead of the usual Faith in Action column, Charles Haskell has provided photos of some of the congregation's community activities.

Our annual Halloween carnival is a fundraiser to support UNICEF.

The other picture shows Forbes Hall, dressed up for November 2. It was used as a polling place on Election Day. In addition, many of our church members were active advocates for fair elections.

November, 2004

Our Fourth Annual Issues Election

The Faith in Action Commission calls a town hall meeting each September to review our ongoing witness and advocacy programs and to prioritize possible new social action initiatives. Our fourth annual meeting was held September 26, with more than 30 participants.

The FIA Commission recommended that all of our current programs be continued, but with some changes in leadership and emphasis. This recommendation was strongly endorsed by the church members present at the meeting.

There was a resounding endorsement of our church’s approach to helping hungry and homeless people in our community. We continue an active collaboration with the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition (WSHC). Marge Zifferblatt has led this effort for many years, with help from Charles Haskell since 2003. Three member organizations of the WSHC and one of its major public events have been the focus of our church’s work.

The longest association has been with the Westside Food Bank. Our church donates food to this organization every Sunday, and twice a year we help sort food collected by Postal Service food drives. Paula Bernstein coordinates this activity.

Our second longest association has been with Turning Point, a program of transitional housing managed by the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC). Janet Goodwin and a team of volunteers prepare periodic meals for this organization.

The third and most recent association is with Step Up on Second, a program of housing and case management for the ambulatory mentally ill. Lyn and George Armondo and more than 40 volunteers prepare monthly dinners for the organization’s clients living in Santa Monica. Our final contribution has been in support of WSHC’s annual success breakfast honoring people who have been able to make the transition from homelessness to relative self-sufficiency.

Economic justice was endorsed as an ongoing program of our church, but with new leadership. We want to thank Cathie Gentile for leading this effort last year and to welcome Mar Preston as the new coordinator of this effort. Continuation of our criminal justice reform initiative under the leadership of Patrick Barbush was also endorsed.

For the last two years we have had an active Peace and Civil Liberties Committee under the direction of S. J. Guidotti. With his resignation as chair in August, the committee has decided to hibernate until after the November elections. While the members of the committee consider their options, Charles Haskell will be serving as the contact person for this initiative.

The following core FIA programs and liaison responsibilities were strongly endorsed without a change in leadership: UU-United Nations Office (Eleanor Eagan); UUSC (Simon Huss and Rachel Donaldson); Women’s Alliance (Lyn Armondo); Interweave (Ron Crane); FIA Bulletin (Charles Haskell); and FIA Speaker Series (Max Epstein). We also decided to add the California UU Legislative Ministry to the list of these core FIA functions.

At the request of the Rev. Lindi Ramsden, executive director of the California UU Legislative Ministry, a straw vote was taken to see which of the issues currently under review by the California UULM was of greatest concern to our congregation. Healthcare access legislation and support of legislation to legalize same-sex marriage stood out as the issues of greatest interest.

As part of a discussion of possible new initiatives, Marv Pulliam provided an overview of our church’s new small group ministry program (covenant groups). He explained how the groups function and how they democratically choose short term projects of community service. After full discussion it was decided that FIA would not undertake a major new witness and advocacy initiative this year that might compete with the covenant groups. Rather, we look forward to seeing what kinds of community service projects are chosen by the various covenant groups during the coming year. Hopefully, this new program will help us deepen our church’s involvement in social action and community service. As stated by the Rev. Ramsden, this may be another way we can take concern for social justice and community involvement “from the porch to the living room of our congregations.”

—Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action

Calling Food Sorters: Put Thursday, Dec. 2 on Your Calendars

Once again, it’s time for our December Food Sort at the Westside Food Bank. Here’s our chance to respond to a real need to help hungry people by sorting the cans and boxes of food collected by the Food Bank, and putting them into boxes for the agencies that distribute groceries. Please plan to join us on Thursday, December 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Westside Food Bank, 1710 22nd Street, Santa Monica. Last December, we sorted 11,250 pounds of food. It’s a fun and worthwhile project for the entire family. For more information, call Paula Bernstein

.

September, 2004

FIA is planning for the future

On September 26, we'll have our 4th Annual Faith in Action (FIA) issues election. This is when our congregation votes on our priorities for social action for the coming year. This column is dedicated to a brief review of our expected agenda for the election.

First, we'll review our ongoing programs. Of particular concern is our work on economic justice, peace, and civil liberties. In addition to reviewing our accomplishments to date, we'll discuss how to proceed with these issues during the coming year. Regretfully, S.J. Guidotti has resigned as chair of the Peace and Civil Liberties Committee, so these topics will require particular attention.

Second, we'll review the proposed actions of immediate witness and the new Study/Action Issue on Global Warming chosen at General Assembly in June of this year.

Third, we'll consider any proposals made earlier that day by our visiting minister, the Rev. Lindi Ramsden of the California UU Legislative Ministry. She will tell us about this program and review some of their work. This may well serve as a catalyst for new social action work.

Finally, we'll review and prioritize social action projects proposed by the congregants present at the meeting. Faith in Action is dedicated to the democratic process and we are totally committed to pursuing those social action issues of greatest interest to the congregation.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank S. J. Guidotti for his two-year tenure as chair of the Peace and Civil Liberties Committee. We will miss his passion and energy in this important leadership position.

I'm excited by the prospect of reviewing our programs and recommitting ourselves to our important work. Please place this date on your calendars.

— Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

August, 2004

Lessons Learned at General Assembly

I’m pleased to report that our Faith in Action program was part of a workshop on social action at GA entitled “Outreach Times Three.” The workshop was moderated by the Rev. Karen Stoyanoff of Orange Coast Church in Costa Mesa, with presentations by Deena Tuttle of San Diego, Marilyn Giss of Costa Mesa, and me (see photograph).

I was particularly impressed by the innovative social action program described by Marilyn Giss. She described a model developed in Costa Mesa to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of their church. The congregation was challenged to increase involvement in social action. They called their program the “50-50-50 program” because it called for congregants to commit to volunteering 50 hours of community service and 50 additional dollars to charity for that commemorative year, with the dollar contribution to be matched by the church. Their goal was to coax 50 of their 240 congregants to participate. The program was so successful that 70 congregants volunteered, and the church hired a part-time paid staff member to manage the volunteer effort. To cover the cost of the paid staff member, the church also competed successfully for $6,000 of financial assistance from the UU Social Responsibility Fund.

The lesson from the Costa Mesa presentation is that UU congregations may be very generous if you provide appropriate opportunities and the right incentives. Our experience in Santa Monica with our Generous Congregation Program strongly supports this conclusion. Since we started donating 15% of each Sunday collection to charity, the net collection for our church, after deducting the 15%, has actually increased.

On September 26 we’ll have our fourth annual FIA issues election. We’ll review the overall status of our Faith in Action program and will vote to prioritize potential issues for the future. Personally, I’m hopeful we can develop support for our own version of a “50- 50-50” program. Wouldn’t it be wonderful becoming even more deeply involved in our community through more volunteer service and more charitable giving?

—Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

July, 2004

Should We Hang Banners on Our Church?

On August 1 we’ll decide whether or not we should allow banners to be hung on the outside of our church. Personally, I support Interweave’s proposal to hang a tasteful banner on our church that demonstrates our support of same-sex marriage. This month's column will explore some of my reasons for supporting this proposal.

An attractive banner can be educational. We celebrated our 75th anniversary as a congregation in Santa Monica with a banner. It was a very nice reminder to our neighbors of our long presence in the community. The banner under consideration now is a celebration of our denomination's longstanding support of samesex marriage. A public display of our moral stand on this critical issue would help educate the public about our values and beliefs.

An attractive banner can help us reach out to likeminded souls on this issue. Neighbors and visitors to our part of Santa Monica may not be aware of our stand on this moral issue. A banner would serve as an invitation to join us in the pursuit of same-sex marriage as a civil right.

Attractive banners on moral and religious issues could enliven and beautify our church. This may be especially important as we undertake our major building program. Banners could provide an interesting contrast to the ugliness of a construction site.

I disagree with the argument that a banner on the issue of same-sex marriage would be an inappropriate expression of a political point of view. From my perspective, any resolution or statement of conscience passed by two-thirds of our members at an official church business meeting would be fair game for a Faith in Action banner on our church. This is one way we define and refine our religious world view — through the democratic creation of resolutions and statements of conscience.

I disagree with the argument that banners on our church may invite vandalism. If we allow fear to be our guide on hanging banners, what does that say about our right to the free and responsible search for truth?

Faith in Action embraces education, service, witness and advocacy. I urge our congregation to approve the use of attractive banners as a new way of sharing our religious values with our community.

—Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action

June, 2004

Our February Town Hall Meeting Endorsed Civil Marriage Equality

We define religious values in our denomination by choosing and adopting Statements of Conscience after a multi-year, democratic process that starts by choosing a new Study/Action Issue at General Assembly. In February we held a town hall meeting to review the four proposed Study/Action Issues for 2004, as described on the UU Commission on Social Witness web site.

At that time we overwhelmingly voted to urge our delegates at General Assembly this month to vote for the issue entitled Civil Marriage Equality for Same-sex Couples.

Marriage has changed over time to fit the needs and purposes of society. For example, interracial marriage was once deemed “unnatural” and was illegal in some states. In 1967 the Supreme Court recognized miscegenation as a violation of civil rights. For more than two decades Unitarian Universalist ministers have performed same-sex commitment ceremonies. But marrying a person of one’s own gender is illegal. A federal law, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA, 1996), stipulates that marriage is between a man and a woman. Similar laws exist in 37 states; others have pending legislation. These laws grant hundreds of state and federal civil rights, responsibilities, benefits, and protections of civil marriage to opposite-sex couples, while denying these rights to more than 10 million gay and lesbian people. It is time for change.

Recent court decisions have challenged discrimination against the civil rights of lesbians and gays, and many people believe that any legislation that denies civil marriage equality for same-sex couples is unconstitutional. Opponents perceive equality for same-sex couples as a threat to the “sanctity of traditional marriage,” so they are trying to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting this practice.

Unitarian Universalists have historically supported civil unions and legal equity regardless of sexual orientation, but it is time for us to deepen that commitment by adopting a Statement of Conscience endorsing same-sex civil marriage. As one of our delegates to GA this year, I will vote to select this issue for study and action. I believe it is time for us to have a denominational dialogue about how we can most effectively support same-sex marriage.

— Charles Haskell Chair, Faith in Action Commission

Peace and Civil Liberties Chair Speaks Out on Banner Issue

As the chair of the Peace and Civil Liberties Committee, I’d like to weigh in on some of the issues that were brought up during the congregational meeting of May 16 regarding the display of a banner saying “Civil Marriage Is a Civil Right.”

To bring non-attenders up to speed, this debate took place near the end of the meeting, immediately following the unanimous vote putting UUCCSM on record as favoring same sex marriage rights. A second Interweave proposal authorizing a banner outside of the church was then discussed and ultimately tabled until the issue could be more fully aired at meetings this summer.

I will begin by stating my forthright support for the banner. I am led to this position by the basic tenants of our denomination, my activism as part of Faith in Action, and the courageous lead that UUA has shown in displaying an identical banner in Boston across from the Massachusetts State House.

What I would now like to do is discuss each of the counter arguments that were raised, the first being that those who do not agree with same sex marriage will be disinclined from visiting our church. The rejoinder to this is why would someone who opposes civil rights for marriage want to attend a UU church? I believe that such a banner could actually spur attendance. Could there be a more public way of demonstrating that we are indeed a welcoming congregation?

Another more activist argument was Why this issue? and Why not a banner favoring women’s reproductive rights? I, for one, would support that banner as well. A year ago I would have welcomed a banner opposing the Iraqi war. The issue is that civil rights for marriage is a battle being fought today. Many states will have referenda this year seeking to ban same-sex marriage. If George Bush were to propose an anti-abortion activist for the Supreme Court, then obviously this struggle would require both our vocal and public support.

Finally, fears were voiced that a “Civil Marriage is a Civil Right” banner could inspire vandalism. My answer to this is twofold. One, our church is located in what is frequently called the Peoples’ Republic of Santa Monica, and two, if we can not display our support for marriage equality now, then when shall we do so?

Should we display a banner once an issue has been settled, perhaps one calling for voting rights regardless of sex or racial equality? Our role is, I believe, to lead. Of what value is our unanimous vote in favor of marriage equality if it is to remain unspoken for fear of reprisal? Our church’s history of activism beginning with Thoreau and continuing through our support of Martin Luther King compels us to publicly proclaim a unanimously held stance on what has become a critical civil rights issue of our time.

— S. J. Guidotti

May, 2004

We're Working for Economic Justice

Last September, we voted to develop a new program in economic justice. Since then, Cathie Gentile has led this initiative and we’ve hired two Faith in Action Interns and forged a close working relationship with Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) and Santa Monicans Allied for Responsible Tourism (SMART). Our combined effort is focused on helping low-wage workers in the hotel industry in Los Angeles. This involves working with hotel management and union representatives as they undertake a new round of contract negotiations.

What have we accomplished so far? First, as part of CLUE’s Hungry for Justice project, we started collecting food in March for needy hotel workers in case of a general strike later this spring. Second, we’ve contributed cash to the worker sanctuary emergency fund. Third, we’ll provide educational programs about the issues. The first such program was held at our church on April 7. Future programs will feature CLUE’s David and Goliath Project, which will help us learn how to be responsible advocates in the event of a labor action.

The leaders and some of the participants of the program at our church on April 7 are shown in the accompanying photograph. These include (left to right) Abby Arnold (member of our church), Cathie Gentile (our church), Vivian Rothstein (SMART), Edith Mendez (FIA intern), Derek Smith (SMART), Mar Preston (our church and FIA intern), Sarah Rubio (hotel worker), Maria Elena Durazo (vice president at large of the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees [HERE] International Union and president of HERE Local 11 in Los Angeles), and Michele Prichard (our church). Maria Elena Durazo outlined the background and goals of the upcoming contract negotiations. Among the concerns were continued access to free family health care, reasonable wages and working conditions, and a contract renewal date in 2006.

A renewal date in 2006 is crucial to the union’s strategy. They recognize that they are dealing with multinational corporations with very deep pockets. They are concerned that having different renewal dates around the country makes it impossible for the unions to act as a unified national force on behalf of the workers. They recognize that they must become a national union for their constituents.

More will follow from Cathie Gentile, Mar Preston and Edith Mendez about this program. Please contact one of them if you would like to take a more active role in supporting this effort.

— Charles Haskell, Chair, Faith in Action Commission

April, 2004

An Evening of Classical Music with Dean Voegtlen

On March 7 the Music Committee and the Faith in Action Commission jointly sponsored a benefit concert of classical music in our sanctuary. It featured the Russian String Quartet performing Haydn, Bach, and Brahms, with Dean Voegtlen joining the group for Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet, Opus 115 (see photo below).

Why is an evening of classical music a topic for this column? First, it demonstrates the power of teamwork in helping our community. Several years ago, we chose to work more closely with Step Up on Second. This is a wonderful institution that works to reintegrate individuals with severe and persistent mental illness back into society. We help this group in a variety of ways. For example, Lyn Armondo and a team of 50 volunteers provide a monthly meal for the residents of Step Up on Second. Now, thanks to the teamwork of Faith in Action, the Music Committee, and our Generous Congregation program, we raised $729 for this worthy cause.

The second reason is personal. I would like to recognize Dean Voegtlen for 40 years of service to our church. Dean has served two separate terms as president of our congregation, initially in the 1970s and more recently in the early 1990s. He is known for his passionate love of music and dedication to our music program. His love of music was kindled by clarinet lessons in the 4th grade. He sustained this interest and was the winner of an all-state solo competition in high school. He later studied music at Wayne State University and studied with Angel del Busto of the Julliard School Woodwind Department. However, he was not destined to be a professional musician. His career was engineering, but music has been his passion.

Our community has benefited enormously from Dean’s love of music. He was the prime mover in obtaining our organ and a key member of the committee that found and purchased our Steinway piano. He has been a major financial donor to our music programs, and he was responsible for making our recent concert a charity event for Step Up on Second. Our church covenant calls for us to “dwell together in peace” and it states that “service is our prayer.” Dean Voegtlen’s contributions to our community are a demonstration of “faith in action.”

— Charles Haskell, Chair, Faith in Action Commission

March, 2004

The FIA Bulletin is Available Online

The goal of the FIA Bulletin is to publish original stories, essays, letters, poems, photographs, and related material created by church members in support of the witness and advocacy program of our church.

The views expressed are those of the individual authors. Articles should not be construed as official position statements of our church unless clearly identified as such. Editing is guided by an editorial board consisting of church members.

The first issue of the FIA Bulletin was mailed to everyone on the church newsletter mailing list on March 15, 2003. Subsequent issues have been published as electronic documents.

Our most recent issue (Winter 2003-2004) was published electronically on February 14. Printed copies may be found on the FIA table in Forbes Hall.

The lead article in the Winter issue summarizes the results of our annual review of UUA/Commission on Social Witness proposals on February 8. Of particular note was our decision to engage in the Study/Action Issue on penal reform. Patrick J. Barbush will lead this effort. We also held a straw vote to prioritize four proposed Study/Action Issues to be considered at General Assembly in June. A proposal on gay marriage was the strong favorite of those congregants attending the meeting.

The Winter issue contains a rich blend of essays, news articles, photographs, and a poem. As always, the issue is dedicated to the original creative work of our congregants, with a strong emphasis on potential witness and advocacy issues. We hope you will find it engaging.

With few exceptions, the FIA Bulletin has been well received by the members of our congregation with computer access to the Internet. But how do other members feel about the FIA Bulletin? Is our current approach to distribution adequate to the needs of our congregation? Are there other suggestions for improving the FIA Bulletin? Wouldn’t you like to contribute an essay, photograph, or poem of your own for possible publication? Questions, comments, suggestions, and creative work for publication are welcome. They can be placed in the FIA box in the church office or sent to me.

--Charles Haskell, Editor, FIA Bulletin, Chair, Faith in Action Commission

February, 2004

Vote on GA Issues at the February 8 Meeting

General Assembly (GA) is coming to Long Beach in June and it is time to start preparing for the big event. As in years past, February is the month for us to review Unitarian Universalist Study/Action Issues, Actions of immediate Witness, and proposed Statements of Conscience that will be voted on at GA. So mark your calendars for Sunday, February 8, at 12:45 p.m. This is the date for our annual Faith in Action town hall meeting in the sanctuary to review these issues. This column summarizes what we hope to accomplish at this town hall meeting.

First, we will review a short list of proposed Study/Action Issues to be considered at General Assembly in June. The final list, determined late in January, will be presented at the town hall meeting. Our job will be to prioritize these issues for our congregational delegation. Our delegates will participate in a debate and vote at GA leading to the selection of one new Study/Action Issue to be used nationally between 2004 and 2006.

Our second task will be to review the draft Statement of Conscience on Civil Liberties that arose out of GA in June 2004. This is the Study/Action Issue we discussed last year. It is now in the pipeline as the next official Statement of Conscience for the UUA. We’ll review the draft to educate ourselves and to provide guidance to our congregational delegates when they vote in June to accept or reject the final document.

Our third task involves a review of the current Study/Action Issue on Prison Reform that is being pursued nationwide. We will decide whether or not to become involved in this Study/Action Issue.

Our final task will be to inform ourselves about the newest official UUA Statement of Conscience on Economic Globalization and the five new Actions of Immediate Witness that were officially endorsed at General Assembly in Boston in June 2004. These Actions of Immediate Witness include (1) AmeriCorps, (2) depleted uranium munitions, (3) global HIV/AIDS, (4) public hearings on Iraq, and (5) women’s rights. Since this is not an official business meeting of the church, all votes are non-binding. Although no homework or advance preparation is required, participants are encouraged to check the UUA Commission on Social Witness website at www.uua.org/csw/soc2004.html. What we really want is your help in prioritizing these worthwhile issues.

—Charles Haskell,
Chair, Faith in Action Commission

January Food Sort Event

Volunteers from our church provided casseroles and cookies for 150 homeless men and women at the Culver City Cold/Wet Shelter on the evening of January 1. First they gathered at the home of Beverly Alison, the coordinator, who provided snacks and drinks before the whole group delivered the dinners to the shelter.

January, 2004

We’ve Received a Grant to Hire Our Second FIA Intern

Economic justice was chosen as our new witness and advocacy focus at the annual Faith in Action issues election in September. Cathie Gentile has agreed to guide this new initiative and more than 60 people have signed up to participate.

Because of the potential scope and impact of this new initiative, we decided to seek additional funds to support the program. Under the leadership of the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), we submitted a grant proposal to the Fund for Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility to hire a part-time person to help us pursue a program of social justice for low-wage workers in the hotel industry.

It is my great pleasure to announce that this UU fund has awarded us $12,000 to pursue our “U.U. Worker Sanctuary Project,” with the option of receiving an additional $4,000 from a matching grant. Assuming we raise the additional $4,000, which we plan to do by seeking help and involvement from other UU churches in our area, we’ll have $20,000 to use in hiring a new FIA intern to work on economic justice.

We’ll be looking for a Unitarian Universalist interested in working for economic justice. Many of the lowwage hotel workers are Latino/Latina, so we hope to find a person who is bilingual in Spanish and English.

We’ll pay the salary for this part-time employee, but our new FIA intern will be located at CLUE headquarters and will work directly with their staff in the field. Supervision of the intern will be the joint responsibility of our church (Cathie Gentile, assisted by our minister) and CLUE (Dr. David L. Wheeler, Sanctuary Organizer, and Rev. Salvatierra).

Our agenda for economic justice starts with an all-church Town Hall meeting in February to discuss the 2003 UUA Statement of Conscience on Economic Globalization.

Our agenda also includes the collection of food for low-wage workers in February and training sessions in March. We want to be ready for possible strikes in April. Our new FIA intern will be a key participant in this process.

— Charles Haskell,
Chair, Faith in Action Commission

When Did You Last Go Bowling?

How would you like to support the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition, our major partner in helping homeless adults, children, and families in our community, and have fun as well? Join our church’s team.

What: “SuperBowl-A-Thon VIII” event
Where: At the AMF Bay Shore Lanes
234 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica
When: Friday afternoon, January 30
How much: $20 each

Faith in Action has endorsed forming one or more five-person teams for the event. The three available times for groups of five bowlers are: 1 to 2 p.m. or 2:30-3:30 p.m. or 4 to 5 p.m. There is a registration fee of $100 per team of five bowlers. Please contact Charles Haskell for more information, or to sign up.

December, 2003

To Serve Humankind in Fellowship

Our church board has chosen “reaching out to our greater community” as one of three major goals for this church year. This fits our covenant “to serve humankind in fellowship.” This month’s column provides a brief overview and some questions about our progress in reaching this goal.

We have become more generous on Sunday mornings, direct 15% of each Sunday’s collection to a local charity. Sharing our collection has raised thousands of dollars for charity. This is welcome news, but is it enough? Should we be expanding our generosity beyond the Sunday collection plate? Should we consider including funds earmarked for charitable purposes as part of our annual church budget? Should we plan on sharing a percentage of future bequests with our community?

Hunger and homelessness continue to plague our community. We have responded to these challenges by supporting the Westside Food Bank with food and assistance with sorting food, Step Up on Second by preparing a monthly meal, and Turning Point by providing meals for some holidays. We are becoming more involved with the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition (WSHC), which is a consortium of public and private social service agencies and faith-based organizations dedicated to reducing the burden of hunger and homelessness in our community. A major new project of the WSHC is a pair of cold/wet weather shelters for homeless people in West Los Angeles and Culver City. Another project is a “Volunteer Day” in early February for faith-based institutions. These two projects have arisen since our annual issues election in September and both are asking for volunteer support. How should we respond to this call for volunteers?

The FIA speaker series is open to the public and we are planning two new outreach programs. One is led by Cathie Gentile and deals with economic justice. The other is led by Simon Huss, Rachel Donaldson, and S. J. Guidotti and involves a UUSC program known as the Free Speech Project. Should we do more? Please send e-mail comments on this question to Charles Haskell.

-- Charles Haskell
Chair, FIA Commission

Calling all Food Sorters! You’re needed December 10

The Westside Food Bank again needs our help for a food sort on Wednesday, December 10, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Food Bank, 1710 22nd St., Santa Monica. Last December, 26 people from our church broke the food bank’s record for sorting — filling 11 pallets with 528 boxes of food weighing 14,400 pounds. We also had a good time organizing the food so that those who need it can receive it. If you can join the food sorters, please contact Paula Bernstein.

November, 2003

November is FIA Month for the Gallery Wall

Faith in Action is responsible for the gallery wall each November. Last year, we emphasized peace and anti-war activities. This year the art wall emphasizes the pictures of people who have led and/or participated in a wide range of FIA activities over the year.

S. J. Guidotti and members of the Peace Committee have worked valiantly in support of our church’s statement of conscience against unilateral, preemptive war in Iraq. Dan Kegel and others initiated study/action related to civil liberties. This work meshes nicely with the thrust of work by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). For many years our representative to the UUSC was Betty McDonald. During the past year, she has passed the mantle of UUSC coordination to Rachel Donaldson and Simon Huss. Max Epstein and a small subcommittee of the Peace Committee have worked hard to bring interesting speakers to our church. The gallery wall provides pictures of some of these speakers, as well as a poster promoting FIA speaker series lectures for November and December.

Charles Haskell and an editorial board of five have published three issues of the FIA Bulletin. Last year, Julie Hill, Kathy Layton and Marguerite Spears coordinated food sorts by church members at the Westside Food Bank. This coming year, Paula Bernstein will coordinate this activity. Our next food sort is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10. Cathie Gentile, Lyn Armondo, and Janet Goodwin have led our effort to provide food for the hungry, homeless and mentally ill. We do this by donating food to the Westside Food Bank each week and by preparing food periodically for Turning Point and monthly for Step Up on Second.

Judy Federick, Kris Langabeer and Ron Crane of Interweave have led our congregational effort to become a Welcoming Congregation. We are reaching out to the greater westside community as members of the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition. Some of our work with the coalition is illustrated on the gallery wall. We expect to expand this connection over the coming year.

— Charles Haskell, Chair, FIA Commission

October, 2003

Economic Justice is Added to Our Social Justice Priorities

Economic justice is added to our social justice priorities Forty people participated in the third annual
Faith in Action issues election on September 14.The goal of the meeting was to review our church’s social action program and set priorities for social action for the coming year.

First, we reviewed the work of the Hunger Task Force (HTF). Cathie Gentile, the founding chair, explained that the HTF now has three main components that function independently: (1) Paula Bernstein coordinates food sorts at the Westside Food Bank; (2) Janet Goodwin coordinates the preparation of dinners at Turning Point; and (3) Lyn Armondo coordinates monthly meal preparation for Step Up on Second. Continuation of this program under this leadership was endorsed unanimously. Cathie was warmly thanked for her wonderful work on the task force since its creation in 2001.

Next, we reviewed the work of the Peace Committee. S.J. Guidotti, the committee’s chair, briefly described the committee’s charge and his vision for the future, including an expanded emphasis on civil liberties. His proposed plans were unanimously endorsed.

Nominations for additional social action issues were considered. Five program areas were nominated, four of which were included in the final vote. The issues and their votes are as follows: a proposal for economic justice for low wage workers in the hotel industry (20 votes); a proposal for at-risk youth involving the development of urban gardens (6 votes); a proposal to promote universal health care (2 votes); and, a proposal to expand and deepen our congregational involvement in the United Nations (2 votes).

The congregation has spoken. Economic justice for low wage workers will be added to our congregational list of high priority social action programs. Cathie Gentile will lead this effort, assisted by the Rev. Judith Meyer and the Rev. Alexia Salvatierra of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE).

— Charles Haskell
Chair, Faith in Action Commission

The Peace Committee Chair Reports at September 14 Town Hall Meeting

Peace. This is obviously something we don’t have. If I went around the room, I’m sure that everyone could come within an ambush or two of the number of Americans who have died in Iraq — just as I am equally certain that no one in this room could tell me how many Iraqis have died in Iraq. This is, of course, a trick question. No one could. We’ve made it a deliberate policy not to count Iraqi dead or wounded. Take, for example, the friendly fire killing of eight Iraqi police officers at a roadblock in Fallouja. Initially the Pentagon acknowledged the death of only one officer. Presumably, the many funerals were burying the living.

This has, in the past year, become our everyday reality, or rather, non-reality. Has there been any situation this side of “we had to destroy the village in order to save it” that cried out more clearly for opposition by people of good will?

If this were not enough, the same government that perpetuates this grossly expensive fraud at the expense of health care, education, and the environment, all the while cutting taxes for the richest Americans — this same you’ve taken from the Santa Monica Library or bought through Amazon.com, and who may now imprison you without the right of habeas corpus or keep you from seeing an attorney or judge merely by the declaration that you are an enemy combatant.

This is the twin charge of the Peace Committee: to oppose this intolerable occupation of a foreign nation and to preserve those liberties that make us Americans. If you have ideas or energy to commit to these goals, then please join our committee. Yes, your assistance will be greatly appreciated for our ongoing lecture series, and the many vigils and protests in which we’ve taken part.

But if you have new ideas, if you’ve ever said to yourself that still seems good to you, then perhaps you should join our committee, share that idea, and lead others to its fruition.

The Peace Committee meets in the 17th Street building at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month

— S.J. Guidotti

FIA Audience Gets Firsthand Glimpses of Life in Baghdad Before and After War

Kelly Hayes-Raitt was the 10th speaker in the Faith in Action series. Her talk on August 29 was sponsored by the Peace Committee. Hayes-Raitt had just returned from her second trip to Iraq. Her first was weeks before the cruise missiles hit Baghdad and her most recent was in July, where the absence of electricity, continuing gunfire, and 120-degree heat definitely made it the off-season for tourism.

Hayes-Raitt, whose Iraqi experiences have appeared recently in the Santa Monica press, reported on her many conversations with civilians who suffered through the Bush administration’s bombings, bombings supposedly conducted to protect U.S. civilians from yet-to-be-found weapons of mass destruction. She pointed out that this occurred despite opposition by every major religious group in the world, making this the first time in history that such unanimity of opinion occurred prior to war.

She exhorted the crowd to join her three-pronged personal response to our current situation. First, to examine how we can conserve energy to end our addiction to the Middle-Eastern oil; second, to prepare to Iraq for the political onslaught of the Bush candidacy in 2004, which will doubtlessly center on waving the flag at ground zero; and lastly, to reclaim our stake in the world rather than letting the administration invoke “God”on their side to continue their aggression.

An ominous ending note settled over the Friday evening crowd when Hayes-Raitt related the story of a Bechtel representative hiring local contractors for the lucrative task of rebuilding Iraq. When the interviewer turned down a candidate, he told him to be optimistic and stay in touch because “we might have something for you later, in Iran.”

— Melinda Ewen

September, 2003

Our third annual issues election is Sept. 14

Do you feel passionately about feeding the hungry, housing the poor, paying workers a living wage, reining in the Patriot Act, or reinvigorating the United Nations? Do you want our church to become involved in prison reform? Would you like us to work for universal access to health care? Is there some other social justice issue or concern that you feel we should tackle?

The Faith in Action (FIA) Commission is responsible for coordinating the witness and advocacy program of our church for issues such as these. Each September FIA holds an all-church, town hall meeting to review FIA programs and to prioritize social action activities for the coming year. This year’s annual issues election will be held after church on September 14. It is the third such election since FIA was created in September 2000 and the first since FIA was formally established by congregational vote in May 2003.

The meeting will be in two parts. First, we will review current FIA activities related to peace, civil liberties, hunger, economic justice, and our newly recognized status as a UU Welcoming Congregation. Members of the congregation attending the issues election will have an opportunity to ask questions about these programs and make recommendations about whether or not these programs should be continued.

The second part of the meeting will consist of small group discussions about ideas for new social action programs and topics. These ideas for the future will be pooled and prioritized by group vote. New FIA programs, if any, will be based on this process.

FIA is committed to focusing our witness and advocacy activities on those issues of greatest interest to the congregation. Please come to the annual issues election on September 14 so we can determine your priorities and be responsive to your most pressing concerns.

Charles M. Haskell
Chair, FIA Commission

August, 2003

Personal Opinion Letters and Essays are Invited for the FIA Bulletin

A major theme of the first issue of the FIA Bulletin was our church’s statement of conscience opposing unilateral preventive war in Iraq. Because of this statement, Faith in Action was able to speak for the church on this issue and we worked hard to make our congregational vote known to the press and our congressional representatives.

Shortly after the first issue of the FIA Bulletin was published in mid-March, our country attacked Iraq without seeking final approval from the United Nations. By the time the second issue was published in June, President Bush had declared victory in Iraq and our country was in the throes of trying to “win the peace.” Consequently, the theme of the second issue was speaking to (not for) the congregation on issues of peace, civil liberties and social justice.

As we approach publication of the third issue of the FIA Bulletin in September, the goal is to expand congregational participation in discussing these issues. It is important for us to understand each other’s diverse views. To help us do this, I would like to invite the members of our congregation to submit material for possible publication in future issues. Essays, letters, poems, photographs, and other original documents expressing the personal opinions of church members on issues of peace, civil liberty and social justice will be considered on a space available basis. Letters and essays may be edited for purposes of space or clarity. Further details about submitting material for possible publication may be found in the most recent version of the FIA Bulletin, which can be found at http://www.uusm.org/fia0603.pdf.

The deadline for submission of original material for the next issue of the FIA Bulletin is September 1. Material may be sent to me by e-mail at chaskell@ucla.edu or placed in the Faith in Action box in the church office. Won’t you join our growing list of authors?

Won’t you share your views, so we can learn from each other?

Charles M. Haskell
Chair, Faith in Action Commission

July, 2003

Speakers Past and Future are Part of FIA Program

Our congregational statement of conscience against unilateral preventive war in Iraq was part of a global battle to avert war in that troubled region and to derail the Bush doctrine of American imperialism. Nevertheless, preventive war was launched without the full support of the United Nations Security Council.

We now find ourselves in a new battle — the battle for peace in the Middle East. Nobody knows just how long this will take and how much it will cost. Personally, I believe our country is morally bound to help repair what we have destroyed. That means a full commitment to the process of nation building in the region. But what does nation building require? Can our country do it by ourselves? Who should be our partners? Should our country punish those who opposed the war?
As a dedicated peace site, our church has a responsibility to its members and to the community to explore the meaning of these events. The FIA speaker series is one way of educating ourselves about such matters.

We have had three Faith in Action speakers since war was declared in March 2003. On April 25 G. Wayne Glass, Ph.D., spoke about the Bush doctrine. During his talk he offered to return to our church to conduct a workshop on how to be an effective advocate for a cause. We plan to offer his workshop on “Lobbying 101” in the near future. On May 30 Olivier Plancon, the deputy consul general in the French Consulate of Los Angeles, discussed the role of the United Nations in times of crisis. He concluded that France and the United States will and must remain partners in foreign affairs, especially in Iraq and the Middle East. On June 13 Ambassador A. Engin Ansay of the Turkish Consulate of Los Angeles discussed the question, “Can the United States impose democracy on the Middle East?” His conclusion was simple: democracy cannot be imposed, but the Republic of Turkey proves that democracy is feasible in a largely Muslim country as long as the government is secular and there is a clear separation of church and state.

FIA is planning monthly speakers starting in the Fall. Feedback about prior speakers and suggestions for the future are welcome.

-- Charles M. Haskell
Chair, Faith in Action

June, 2003

The Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition

Survival can be a daunting task for hungry and homeless people. They need help, whether the root cause of their plight is intrinsic (e.g., mental illness, drug addiction) or extrinsic (e.g., joblessness with no savings and investments limited to Enron stock). What can we do? How can we network with community organizations dedicated to helping them? To answer, look to the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition (WSHC).

The WSHC coordinates a wide variety of community resources for the homeless and hungry, including faith-based organizations like our own. Based on the results of our congregational issues elections, faith in action has been working closely with three member organizations of the WSHC: the Westside Food Bank, Turning Point, and Step Up on Second. Cathie Gentile, chair of the hunger task force, has coordinated our involvement.

Our involvement with the Westside Food Bank and Turning Point has been exemplary. For Step Up on Second, however, we have a problem. We are committed to providing them a major meal at 3:30 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month. So far, we have only barely met this commitment. We need to expand the number of people involved with this program for it to survive. Please contact Lyn Armondo if you are willing and able to help.

In addition, we support the WSHC through donations and committee participation. Marge Zifferblatt and I have been working with two committees — community outreach and annual service breakfast. The first is working on ways to more fully engage the faith-based community in the work of the WSHC. The second involves planning the annual celebration of people who have successfully navigated the difficult path from homelessness to self sufficiency.

I am proud we value community service. Donating time and effort is a form of generosity we can all afford, irrespective of economic circumstance. However, we can do more. As a matter of faith, I think we can and should be even more generous with our community. In that spirit, I invite you to donate time and effort providing food for the mentally ill people cared for at Step Up on Second and to continue your support of our hunger task force.

-- Charles M. Haskell
Chair, Faith in Action

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